What does unforeseen mean?
Word: Unforeseen
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unforeseen means not expected or predicted; happening by surprise.
Synonyms: unexpected, unpredicted, sudden, surprising
Antonyms: expected, predicted, planned
How do you spell unforeseen?
Syllables: un - fore - seen
Tricky part: The middle is fore, meaning before, and it keeps its e. Students drop that e and write unforseen.
Watch out for: unforseen, unforseene
Memory tip: To foresee is to see before, and before ends in e: fore holds on to its e in just the same way.
Unforeseen in a sentence
Example 1: Because of unforeseen circumstances, the school picnic has been postponed.
Example 2: The heavy rain caused unforeseen delays in building the new bridge.
Example 3: My uncle keeps some money aside for unforeseen expenses like a sudden repair.
Fun Fact
Many contracts include a force majeure clause, French for 'superior force'. It covers unforeseen events such as floods or storms that stop someone from keeping a promise.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Fusion
Choose the two parts that fit in the blanks to make a meaningful word:
___fore___ 1. dis 2. un 3. re 4. scene 5. sean 6. seen
a) 1 and 6
b) 2 and 4
c) 2 and 6
d) 3 and 5
Show answer
c) 2 and 6. Something nobody saw coming is un + fore + seen; scene is a part of a play, and sean is only a name.
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with unforeseen?
a) between
b) machine
c) engine
d) routine
Show answer
c) engine. Engine ends in -ine but says 'jin' with no stress on it; machine, between and routine all end in the stressed 'een' of unforeseen.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) unwelcome
b) unusual
c) unatural
d) unforeseen
Show answer
c) unatural. Un + natural keeps both n's: unnatural.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. unforgiving 2. unforeseen 3. unfortunate
a) 213
b) 312
c) 231
d) 123
Show answer
a) 213. All three start with unfor; then e comes before g, and g comes before t.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which event was unforeseen?
a) the bell ringing at the end of a period
b) the sun setting in the evening
c) a birthday party planned for weeks
d) a sudden puncture on the way to school
Show answer
d) a sudden puncture on the way to school
2. The match was stopped by an unforeseen dust storm. This means ___.
a) it had been planned for weeks
b) it happened every single day
c) the forecast had not warned of it
d) the players had asked for it
Show answer
c) the forecast had not warned of it
